Note to Parents

Those of you reading this blog are professionals at reading aloud, whether to your own kids or the kids in your classroom or that come into your library or bookstore.

If you know of parents or individuals that might not be sure how to go about selecting books for their young readers, or how to incorporate story time into their daily routine, here are a couple of articles that you might want to pass along to them:

A How-To on Reading Aloud to Your Kids
Harder Books Aren't Always Better Books: Talking with Parents about Text Difficulty

Choice Literacy, the source for this second article, is a great website which includes many great articles for educators and literacy professionals. They offer many great tips for free, or you can sign up for an annual membership ($99 per year) to receive:

• All site materials in an ad-free environment, including hundreds of articles, web-based videos, and workshop e-Guides
  
  
• Continuously updated content
  
  
• Downloadable tips, tools, and templates for literacy leaders, curriculum specialists, principals, and teachers
  
  
• The latest writing from your favorite teacher authors before it appears in their next book
  
  
• Dozens of videos filmed and edited by our award-winning crew of videographers and technicians
  
  
• Discounts on products and services available only to members

• And much, much more

If you know of more resource sites to share, please add them in the comment section.

Great Books Recommended by Great Dad

I met the founder of Great Dad at ABC Kids Expo a few weeks back. Paul Banas, a fellow Minnesotan (there's many of us), formed the network of articles, blogs and forums found on Great Dad because he realized that there was a missing gap in the online world for dads.

I enjoy his humor, insight and of course, book recommendations, which actually overlaps with many books I have upon my personal bookshelf at home.

So, for those dads, grandparents and women looking for great sites to recommend to the dads in their lives, please stop by and meet Paul and the great site he created, if you haven't already. Oh, and please tell him I sent you!

Favorite Potty Training Books

Potty-training. What fond memories I have of that stage...

Parents magazine has put together a list of their 14 Favorite Potty Training Books - picture books to share with a child as well as books geared towards mom and dad. Guess which of our books made it to the list? Both Everyone Poops and I Want My Potty, of course.

Check out all the book lists on their site which are put together in a lovely little slide show. I personally couldn't get past the ads bouncing on the screen, but for those of you who have more patience than I, head on over to see which of your favorites made it to the lists.

Kane/Miller Kidlit Drink Nite

Join us Thursday, May 29th at 7pm for the 2008 BEA Kane/Miller Kidlit Drink Nite.

Firefly

11720 Ventura Blvd
Studio City, CA 91604

Phone: 818 762 1833

On line review:

Buildings in Los Angeles tend to be faceless blocks from the outside, so don’t be disappointed to find that Firefly has no sign outside indicating where it is. It hasn’t stopped those in-the-know driving over the hills to Ventura for nights of fine dining and classy drinks. The bar is done up like a millionaire’s drawing room with antiques, oil paintings, leather couches, plush sofas and shelves of books - very Getty. The dining room is beyond this, an open-air patio serving Mediterranean type dishes to suit the al fresco setting, among them gorgeous grilled pancetta-wrapped shrimp, filet mignon and various cheeses. The wine and drinks served by stylish staff are just as tasty. Start off with an apple-tini, go on to California wine and by the time you’re on the brandy you’ll be gazing at the stars above you - or at the tables next to you. A classy tucked away gem.